Operating Department Practice

Operating department practice is a healthcare profession concerned with providing compassionate, safe, and effective care to patients throughout the perioperative period, the period surrounding surgical procedures from pre-operative assessment through anaesthesia and surgery to post-operative recovery. Operating department practitioners work alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, and theatre nurses in a range of perioperative settings including operating theatres, emergency departments, intensive care units, and recovery areas, and they are essential members of the team that keeps patients safe during procedures when they may be at their most vulnerable.

The three-year full-time Operating Department Practice degree at the University of Bedfordshire is designed for students with an interest in becoming registered ODPs, able to offer coordinated, patient-centred care in these high-acuity settings. You will develop the clinical skills, professional knowledge, and personal qualities needed to support patients through anaesthesia, assist during surgical procedures, and provide skilled care in the recovery phase. The curriculum covers anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, anaesthetic practice, surgical technique support, infection control, patient safety, and the professional and ethical frameworks within which operating department practitioners work.

Clinical placements are integral to the programme, giving you direct perioperative experience in real theatre and clinical environments throughout your studies.

With a typical entry tariff of 120 points, the programme is accessible to students who bring both scientific aptitude and the compassion and resilience that clinical practice demands. Graduates are eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and to work as operating department practitioners in NHS trusts, independent hospitals, and day surgery units. Career progression leads to senior ODP roles, specialist practice in anaesthetics or surgical support, and leadership in theatre management and perioperative services.